This glazed salmon recipe is big on flavor and easy to prepare. Fish lovers will rejoice in the combination of sweetness, spice, and the right amount of acidity to balance this meal out. Read the rest of this entry →

This simple and easy recipe is inspired by a BBQ shrimp dish I had at Mr. B’s Bistro in New Orleans many years ago. These massive prawns are tossed in a buttery Creole sauce and served with crusty french bread. It makes a great appetizer at your next dinner party! Read the rest of this entry →

Lately I have been experimenting with Paleo recipes at home in my effort to eat cleaner. I have never tried to add grapes to seafood because it sounds like a not so good combination. I proved myself wrong with this recipe. Read the rest of this entry →

Summertime in NYC will always be the season for great seafood. This recipe doesn’t skimp on it either. The combination of butter poached lobster, spicy Alfredo sauce, and shellfish ravioli (made easy with wonton wrappers) work together magically.

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I have loved to go fishing since childhood, and as I got older I have grown to love it even more. There was a time when my father and I would catch fish that we sometimes considered, “a garbage fish” and we would throw them back. The fish we threw back would consist of small sharks, Sea Robins, and the fish highlighted in this recipe, skate or stingray.

Hello everyone, I am back from my very first trip to the US Virgin Islands. There was plenty of fun in the sun, but as usual I was excited to try the food! We were staying on the island of St. Thomas at Point Pleasant Resort and our villa was right on the ocean in Water Bay. Another cool thing, is that our unit featured a full kitchen which made me very happy. So I decided to do a combination of cooking Caribbean dishes and visiting local eateries. Read the rest of this entry →

This is a dish I had at a restaurant some years back during a trip to New Orleans. There is something about Cajun/Creole food I absolutely love. Maybe it’s because the flavors are big, bold and comforting at the same time. Some think that all Cajun food is spicy, but that is not completely true. Like other cuisines, you can always adjust the spice level to your liking. The Creole seasoning recipe given here I would say the level of spiciness is medium. Feel free to use red snapper or drum fish for this recipe if you do not have catfish. Enjoy! Read the rest of this entry →

During my childhood, the salmon cake was always one of my favorites. These tasty patties can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and it’s also an inexpensive meal that can feed up to 4 people per can. Enjoy! Read the rest of this entry →

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Summertime in NYC is here! I want to bring seafood back to my blog during the season. I love risotto and I love paella, so why not combine the two? Ok seriously, I could not find Spanish short grain rice (Bomba Paella Rice) so I used the next best thing, Risotto. I also did not have a paella pan handy (I recommend one), so I used my 16 inch cast iron pan to get the job done. Enjoy!

With this recipe I poached the lobster in a sous vide bath. If you don’t have a sous vide device, you can simply just steam or boil your lobster with a bit of lemon juice and skip the first step. Sous vide is a method of cooking in which food is sealed in airtight plastic bags then placed in a water bath or in a temperature-controlled steam environment for longer than normal cooking times. Read the rest of this entry →

Living in Brooklyn, NY I have had my fair share of great island food, since we have a huge Caribbean population here in the Boro. Here is my spin on Jamacian curry shrimp, enjoy! Read the rest of this entry →

Heat the oil in a pot with a lid over medium to medium-high heat. Add the chiles, peperoncini, garlic, and shallots. Cook, stirring, for 5-7 minutes. Season with salt and red pepper flakes (optional) and stir in the sherry and tomato paste. Cook until it is reduced by half. Add the tomatoes and oregano, cover and cook until the small tomatoes burst, about 12-15 minutes. Stir in the basil and parsley and cook an additional 8-10 minutes. Add the lobster meat and simmer until meat is heated through, do NOT overcook or the meat will be rubbery. Remove from the heat and serve with your favorite pasta or rice, I chose to use some store bought crab stuffed ravioli. Bon Appetit!!

The Florida pompano is a species of marine fish that is considered the tastiest of the species. It also is a valued commercial food fish of the American Atlantic and Gulf coasts.Enjoy!Read the rest of this entry →

Spring is here, and it’s time to pump out the seafood dishes! Living in NYC I do not get to eat Crawfish aka “Mudbugs” a lot here. After a trip to Louisiana a few years back, I have come to love these fresh water crustaceans. Recently I found some at my local market and decided to do a tasty seafood boil. Read the rest of this entry →

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This quick and easy to make shrimp dish is a great option for a weeknight dinner. You can even add seared scallops, which go really well with this dish as seen below. Enjoy 🙂 Read the rest of this entry →

I hope everyone had a great time bringing in the New Year. I will kick off 2013 with a great tasting and easy to prepare salmon dish. It actually ended up being a Swedish/Italian fusion of flavors. But before I give you the recipe, let me tell you about some of the fun things I did last month and what inspired me to cook this dish. Read the rest of this entry →

So far it has been a stormy fall season in the northeast. I mean 8 days ago we were hit by Hurricane Sandy, which devastated the tr-state area. As I write this blog we are currently being walloped by a Nor’easter that rolled in this afternoon bringing snow to NYC in early November. So as you can imagine I have been stuck at home the past week, which I don’t mind because that means more kitchen time! With this kind of weather rolling in, it is time to roll out the comfort food. I am a big fan of seafood of all types, and I also love comfort foods such as chili. So the idea of combining the two in a comforting Fall/Winter chili made my stomach growl. The funny thing about this dish is that it was made with ingredients I never intended on using, this is why I call this “sort of chili”. I accidentally added too much heat to my sauce, and although I love spicy foods, this had a bit much. (oh no!)

It was a mean and spicy sauce which consisted of chili powder, black pepper, cayenne, green chiles, and jalapeno peppers, Whew! I needed to find a way tone the spices down without hurting the flavor in order to save my sauce. I added a tablespoon of sugar which did not have much affect, and I decided not to add anymore because it would suck if I were to end up with a sweet chili “dessert” instead of dinner! What I did next was dice up a small potato and a one medium sized green zucchini into small pieces and added them to the sauce to absorb some of the heat. Not only did this work, it surprisingly added another dimension of flavor and texture to the dish. The chili sauce maintained some of the heat, but it was much more tolerable. After a 90 minute simmer I added the seafood which consisted of shrimp, whole baby clams, calamari, sliced octopus and other goodies. Overall, this meal was a hearty, surprisingly good, and a really comforting seafood chili, well sort of a chili… Bon Appetit! *My prayers and support go out to all the victims of Hurricane Sandy*

Place the 2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons oil,hot pepper sauce, Worcestershire sauce, onion, celery, red bell pepper, parsley,old bay seasoning, salt, and pepper in a large saute pan over medium-low heat and cook until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes, Cool to room temperature. In a large bowl, break the lump crab meat into small pieces and toss with the bread crumbs, mayonnaise, mustard, and eggs. Add the cooked mixture and mix well. Cover and place in the refrigerator for about 45 minutes to an hour. Shape into medium-sized crab cakes.

Heat the butter and olive oil for frying over medium heat in a large saute pan. Add the crab cakes and fry for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until browned. Drain on paper towels; keep them warm in an oven and serve hot with your sauce of choice. Bon Appetit!

First sear the shrimp in one Tbsp of the olive oil over high heat, remove from the pan and set aside.
Add the fish, garlic, chilli pepper, and onion to a medium bowl, and then add the lime and orange juice on top. Be sure to submerge the fish completely into the citrus juice.
Cover and Allow the fish to marinate in the refrigerator for about 2 hours or until the fish is white and opaque and no longer translucent.
Toss in the cooked shrimp, cut up oranges, mint leaves, cilantro, then add salt and pepper to taste. Mix well drain the juice into a bowl. Refrigerate the seafood for an hour.
Plate your Ceviche, and whisk the olive oil with the strained juice citrus juice and pour it on top of the ceviche and served garnished with mint leaves or edible flowers for the ultimate summer feel:)
Bon Appetit!

My inspiration for this dish came from a recent trip to the Hawaiian islands. The fresh sweet papaya and slightly tart kiwi complimented each other so well. I seasoned the shrimp with some local organic spices I purchased during my visit to the islands.This seasoning mix consisted things like Organic Nori (seaweed), Hawaiian sea salt (which is sea salt & ‘Alaea Hawaiian red clay). I then quickly pan-seared the shrimp in a little canola oil before tossing them up with the salad. This dish is quick and easy and makes for a perfect healthy summertime meal. It is also sure to be a hit at your family barbecue. Bon Appetit!

*Note: you don’t necessarily need to use this seasoning. You can use your seasoning of choice for the shrimp.

Directions:

Heat the canola oil over medium-high heat in a skillet. Season the shrimp and sear them for about 3 minutes or until no longer translucent. Set them aside and allow them to cool down to room temperature. In a large bowl add the papaya, kiwi, red onion, tomato, ginger, cilantro leaves, and bell pepper. Add the cooled shrimp and lime juice and toss well. You can serve it immediately or refrigerate it for a couple of hours if you want a refreshing, chilled salad. Enjoy

Cajun & Creole cuisine are a couple of my favorite types of food to eat. These cuisines are similar to each other but also quite different, which is something I learned a few months back from my friend, ex-Army veteran, Derrill Guidry. He is a great cook from Louisiana and should know such things, so I trust him. Also on his food page, The “G” Spot, he displays his skills in the Cajun and Creole arena. Both of these cuisines have roots stemming from French cuisine, along with influneces from Africa, Spain and to a lesser degree a few other countries. One of the major differences between Creole and Cajun food is in the type of roux (pronounced “roo”) used as the base of sauces, soups, stews, and other savory dishes. Creole roux is made from butter and flour (as in France), while Cajun roux is made from lard or oil and flour. Most people have the misconception that all Cajun food is spicy, which is not the case. There are a few more differences, and I hope to cover this subject in more detail in a later post, but right now let’s get on with tonight’s dish: Alligator & Shrimp Creole!

Creole Roux

Now most of the people I know (excluding chefs) hear the word “alligator” and run for the hills! They wont go anywhere near it, even when it is cooked — and no longer baring teeth. The fact is, alligators have been hunted and consumed by humans for centuries. The tenderloin I purchased looked no different from boneless chicken cutlets (certainly not green and slimy like some of you think). There are two different species of alligators, one in North America and the other in China. The Chinese alligator is listed as a critically endangered species, while the American alligator is plentiful, and can be found throughout the Southeastern United States. Louisiana and Florida have the most alligators: over one million wild alligators in each state with more than a quarter million more on alligator farms. Obviously, I will use farm raised alligator, and obviously an alligator from Louisiana since it’s Creole. The meat yielded a mild taste somewhat like chicken, and unlike its wild counterpart, which I am told tastes a tad bit more like frog legs or fish. The soft texture is sometimes compared to veal. While this wasn’t my first time cooking gator, it was my first try at a Creole-style dish and it was just absolutely delicious! The Creole flavors where exciting to the taste buds and the alligator and shrimp cooked to perfection. Bon Appetit!

Mix together oregano, salt, white pepper, black pepper, cayenne pepper, thyme, and basil in a small bowl; set aside. Brown the sausage slices is a small frying pan and set aside.
Melt butter in a large saucepan oven over medium heat; stir in tomato, onion, celery, green bell pepper, and garlic. Cook and stir until the onion is almost translucent, about 4 minutes.

Stir in chicken or fish stock, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, hot pepper sauce, and bay leaves. Reduce heat to low and bring sauce to a simmer. Stir in seasoning mix and simmer until the flavors have blended, about 20 minutes.

Gently stir in shrimp and alligator; bring sauce back to a simmer add sausage and cook until the shrimp and gator are done, about 20-30 more minutes. Remove bay leaves and garnish with yellow celery leaves or parsley. Serve with a crusty bread or rice.

This is a quick and easy stir-fry recipe for seafood. This is the type of meal I usually prepare during the work week when I get home and I am too tired to cook a more complicated meal. I am sure there many of you home cooks and foodies who do not cook for a living feel the same way. With this recipe I suggest that if you are impatient with prep work (we all are) buy your squid already cleaned and ready to cook. I chose to clean my own squid, but it was well worth it as I was able to salvage and cook the tentacles as well as the calamari rings. 🙂 So I hope you enjoy this quick and easy Stir-fry! Bon Appetit!

Ingredients:

1 lb shelled and deveined shrimp

1 lb squid cleaned and cut into bite sized pieces

2 tilapia filets cut into 2 inch chunks

2 tablespoons of peanut oil

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 Tbsp fresh minced ginger

1/2 tsp – 1 tsp red pepper flakes (adjust the heat to your taste)

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

1/2 cup fish stock

cooked Jasmine or white rice

Cilantro (minced) or chopped scallions for garnish

salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

First rinse and pat dry the cleaned shrimp, squid, and fish. Heat a wok or skillet over high heat and add the peanut oil. Immediately add the red pepper flakes, garlic, and ginger. Cook for 10-15 seconds stirring a couple of times, and when the garlic begins to color add the fish, shrimp, and squid and cook stirring frequently until all the seafood is opaque. Add the stock and cilantro leaves; stir and simmer for about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking. Garnish with fresh minced scallions or cilantro and serve with cooked rice of your choice.

Ok home cooks & foodies, This is a relatively easy recipe for a very delicious fish, Halibut! You can use fresh or frozen, this is sure to be a hit at your dinner table.This no-fuss recipe is big on flavor and looks delicious on the plate. You can use halibut, cod, or haddock for this dish, it does not matter because they all work. I served it up with parmesan baked asparagus (recipe coming soon) and potatoes. Bon Appetit!

Ingredients:

1 lb halibut fillets (thickly cut)

2 Tbsp olive oil (divided in half)

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (you can use less if you can’t tolerate heat)

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp fresh cracked black pepper

1/4 tsp ground coriander

1/8 tsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt or to taste

pinch of dried parsley & oregano

Directions:

Combine all the dry spices and mix well. Rinse the fish in cold water then pat dry. Brush the fish with half of the oil and season it generously with the spice mix. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put the remaining oil (or you can use a high heat non-stick spray) in a cast iron skillet or other heavy bottomed pan and heat over medium-high flame. Sear the halibut on one side for 3 minutes. Flip the fish and place the pan in the pre-heated oven for 5-7 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Plate the fish and served immediately. Enjoy:)

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Although winter in the northeast has been a pretty mild one with above average temperatures this year, we still look to eat comfort foods such as soups and stews. If you are a follower of this blog you may have noticed by now I am a seafood lover, and while shopping this weekend I bought some Mahi-Mahi filets. Mahi, also known as Dolphin fish, is a very popular fish among chefs everywhere and is highly sought after. Mahi meat is firm with a large flake and a mild, sweet flavor which made it perfect for the type of stew I planned to prepare. I also decided to add two other seafood favorites of mine: fresh jumbo shrimp and blue claw crabs. Along with the fresh herbs and spices I intended to use in this stew, can you say yummy? To top it all off, the stew will be delivered to the table in a fresh sourdough bread bowl which is always a comforting hit at the dinner table. So enjoy this recipe and give me a little feedback on what you think 🙂 Enjoy

First remove outer top shell of the crab then clean out the the internal organs and cut each crab in half leaving 4 total clusters (you can have your seafood guy do this). If you are using bread bowls you need to carefully carve it open so it resembles a bowl, and use the scooped out bread for dipping. Heat oil in a large saucepan the add the onions and sautee until soft but not browned. Add tumeric powder, curry powder, chili powder, and garlic to the pan and fry for 3 minutes until spices become fragrant. Add the stock, 2 Tbsp of cilantro, tomatoes, and tomato paste then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes. Add stock as needed if it reduces. Throw in the shrimp, chunks of fish, crab clusters, and the chick peas then simmer for 10 minutes or until the fish has cooked. Mix in the mango chutney and simmer for 1 more minute and season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and add an even amount to each bowl including 1 cluster of crab for each. Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves and 1 Tbsp of yogurt in each bowl and serve immediately. Bon Appetit!

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Steak and seafood are my absolute favorites, but when I have a chance to combine the two of them together, it is a match made in heaven. Surf & Turf is on deck, Enjoy!

For the shrimp:

1 bunch fresh cilantro

8 medium chopped scallions

2 green chili peppers

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon lime juice

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

3 lbs large shrimp

Wooden skewers soaked in water

coarse sea salt

fresh ground black pepper

chili powder

lime or lemon, sliced

fresh cilantro for garnish

Directions:

In a blender or food processor place the cilantro leaves and stems, scallions, chili peppers, garlic, lime juice, cumin, and turmeric and blend to a puree. Add some water if necessary to achieve the desired consistency. Peel the shrimp,devein them leaving the tail intact. Place the shrimp in a bowl, and toss with the cilantro mixture. Marinate for about 3-4 hours.

When you are ready to cook the shrimp, scoop them up so that more of the marinade remains on one side of each one. Use an indoor grill if possible and either use non=stick spray or a bit of olive oil on the grill. Put shrimp on the soaked skewers with the sliced lemon or limes. Heat the grill to medium-high and place the shrimp marinade-side up on the grill. Cook until almost done, about 2 minutes.Turn shrimp over and cook quickly on marinade side, about 1-2 more minutes. Remove shrimp from grill. Divide the skewers among serving plates. Sprinkle the shrimp with coarse salt, pepper, chili powder, a squeeze of lime juice, and a few cilantro leaves.

For the steak:

1 shell steak 1 1/2-inch thick

olive oil to coat

kosher salt and ground black pepper

Place 10 to 12-inch cast iron skillet in oven and heat oven to 500 degrees. Bring steak(s) to room temperature. When oven reaches temperature, remove pan and place on range over high heat. Coat steak lightly with oil and season both sides with a generous pinch of salt. Grind on black pepper to taste. Immediately place steak in the middle of the hot, dry pan. Cook 30 seconds without moving. Turn with tongs and cook another 30 seconds, then put the pan straight into the hot oven for 3-4 minutes. Flip steak and cook for another 2 minutes. (This time is for medium rare steaks. If you prefer medium, add a minute to both of the oven turns.) Remove steak from pan, cover loosely with foil, and rest for 5 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute. Just add your steak to the plate with the shrimp you have a mouthwatering Surf & Turf meal! Enjoy 🙂

Put the onions, cloves, and one tablespoon of salt in a large saucepan with the water and bring to a boil. Using a large metal strainer, dip the octopus in and out of the boiling liquid at least 3 times, returning the water to boil between each re-dipping (this helps the octopus become tender). If you don’t have a metal strainer, use tongs to dip. Then completely immerse the octopus in the liquid and cook very gently for about an hour. I used baby octopus which was ready in about an hour, larger octopus may take 90 minutes of gentle cooking before tender. Allow it to cool in the liquid, then drain, cut into bite size pieces(for larger octopus) and place in a nonmetallic bowl.

Mix the oil, parsley, garlic, vinegar, red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper(to taste) and add to the bowl with the octopus. Mix well, cover, and chill for a few hours or overnight. Octopus can be served with crusty bread for mopping up the juices 🙂 Bon Appetit!

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Once again I will try my hand at an international dish. This time we go to India’s smallest, yet richest state, Goa, which is in western India. Goan cuisine is famous for its wide variety of fish dishes cooked with elaborate recipes. Coconuts and curries are widely used in Goan cooking along with chili peppers, spices and vinegar, giving the food a unique flavor. Fish curry with rice is one of the main dishes in this region. A rich egg-based multi-layered sweet dish known as Bebinca is a favorite during the Christmas holiday, which was the inspiration for this dish. I found the dish to be like most of the Indian dishes I have prepared, except the coconut milk which I have found more common in Thai cooking. This dish is BIG on flavor and, because I happened to find colossal shrimp at Fairway, the dish is big — just check out the photo of an uncooked shrimp. It has a has a nice amount of heat for the foodies who love spicy dishes (but not over-spicy). Bon Appetit!

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and add the onion. Cook until the onion is softened but not browned. Add the ginger paste and garlic paste and cook for 2-3 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the coriander, fennel, turmeric, chili powder, and pepper. Add the water and make a paste. Reduce the heat to medium, add the paste to the onion mixture, and cook for 1-2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and cook for 5-6 minutes. Then add the coconut milk and salt, bring to a slow simmer and cook, uncovered, for 6-8 minutes, stirring frequently.

Meanwhile, shell the eggs and, using a sharp knife, make 4 slits lengthwise on each egg without cutting through. Add the eggs to the pan along with the shrimp and increase the heat to cook for 6-8 minutes.

Stir in the lime juice and half the cilantro. Remove from the heat and transfer the curry to a serving dish. Garnish with the rest of the cilantro and serve with basmati rice.

Directions
Place the fish in a shallow bowl and in a separate bowl make the marinade. Mix half the oil, green chilies, lime juice and rind, and fish sauce together and pour over the fish. Cover and chill for two hours. Put the noodles in a bowl, cover with boiling water and leave for 8-10 minutes (or check your package instructions). Drain well and set aside. Heat the second 2 Tbsp of oil in a wok or large skillet and sauté the shallots, garlic, and red chili until lightly browned. Add the soy sauce and the chili sauce. Then add the fish with the marinade to the wok and stir fry gently for 2-3 minutes or until cooked through. Add the drained noodles and stir gently. Mix in 1 Tbsp or cilantro and serve immediately.

On each side of the fish, make three diagonal cuts 2 1/2 inches long and about a 1/2 inch deep. Stir the marinade ingredients in a small bowl and spoon it over the fish, making sure it seeps into the cuts. Let the fish stand in the marinade uncovered at room temperature for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Make the sauce:

Melt the butter in a small skillet, and saute the sesame seeds until golden, 1 minute. Stir in the ginger and garlic; cook 1 minute. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, lemon juice, cornstarch, and water; stir until smooth. Stir this into the butter mixture, and heat to a simmer stirring frequently. Cook until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Set aside and keep warm. Arrange the fish in a baking pan, and bake until it flakes easily, about 20-25 minutes. Stir any accumulated pan juices and the chopped scallions into the sauce. Spoon the sauce over the fish or serve alongside.

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French cuisine is often seen as a benchmark for gourmet cooking. The word “gourmet” is French, after all. I have never been to France, but from reading about it I’ve learned tons of things about this beautiful country. France is a land of variety with a rich array of home -grown produce, with every region having its own specialties. But I wondered, what makes this cuisine so special? Part of what distinguishes French cuisine is simply the attitude of the French towards food. The joys at the table are fundamental to their way of life, and food is a constant conversation throughout France. Chefs, cheesemakers, winemakers, bakers, and pastry chefs are respected and revered in ways that are unheard of elsewhere. French cooks would rather spend time finding fine fresh products, than stocking up on processed food. A funny thing I learned is that at one o’clock throughout France the traffic becomes suddenly lighter, why? Because the French have their feet under the table. 🙂

So what I will prepare tonight is a classic French dish which has its origins in Burgundy: Poulet aux Crevettes (chicken with prawns). This meal has an unusual combination of ingredients and the recipe is traditionally made with crayfish. Here in NYC it is easier for me to obtain shrimp, so that’s what I will roll with this time.

Wash the chicken pieces, pat them dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large heatproof casserole or deep skillet and cook the shrimp over high heat until they turn bright red. Remove the shrimp, allow to cool slightly and remove the heads and shells and put aside for later (leave the tails on the shrimp). Chill the shrimp while the chicken is prepared. Add the chicken pieces to the casserole skin side down and cook over medium high heat for 10-12 minutes until golden brown, turning to cook evenly, you may need to cook in batches. Transfer chicken to a plate and pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat. Add the onion to the skillet and cook over medium high heat stirring frequently until it is golden. Sprinkle with the flour and continue cooking and stirring for 2 more minutes. Then add the wine and brandy and bring to a boil while constantly stirring. While mixture is boiling add the stock, shrimp shells, tomatoes, garlic, bouquet garni, and chicken pieces with any remaining juices. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to very low. Cover and simmer 20-25 minutes, until the chicken is tender and the juices run clear when pierced with a knife. Remove the chicken pieces and strain the cooking liquid, pressing down on the shells and vegetables to extract as much juice as possble. Skim fat from the top of the liquid with a spoon and discard, and return the liquid to the pan. Add the cream and boil until it is reduced by 1/3 and slightly thickened. Return chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Just before serving add shrimp and heat through. Arrange on warmed plates, pour some of the sauce over and garnish with fresh parsley.

Heat butter in a heavy saute pan over medium heat. Saute the onions and bell peppers until they are semi-soft, 5-7 minutes.

Add Thai red curry paste to the onions and peppers and stir well over the heat to mix. Pour in the coconut milk, lime juice, fish sauce, brown sugar, and kaffir lime leaves (if using). Simmer over low heat, uncovered, for around 10 minutes so the flavors can blend and the broth can reduce slightly.

In the meantime, rinse the fish and shrimp with cold water, pat dry, and lightly season with salt. Place the fish and shrimp in the saute pan, and nestle them into the broth as much as possible. Simmer on very low, covered, for 5 minutes, mix in steamed mussels and simmer cover another 5-7 minutes until the fish flakes easily. During the last minute or two of cooking, add chopped cilantro. Serve hot over Jasmine rice in a bowl along with broth. Enjoy!

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F . Take the 2 whole cleaned fish and place in 14 x 11 baking pan. Make 3 vertical slices on each fish and rub each with the olive oil. Sprinkle the fish with the sea salt and crushed black peppercorns.
Stuff each fish with 3 cilantro sprigs,a few onions quarters, and sliced peppers.Stuff the slits of the fish with the garlic and bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Remove from stove and drizzle with lemon juice and bake an additional 20 minutes or until the fish is no longer translucent. Garnish with cilantro leaves, lemon slices and additional bell peppers (optional) and serve. Bon Appetit!

Heat up 4 quarts of water and let it boil. Add the noodles in the hot water until they are done, drain the water, and set aside to cool down the noodles.

In a pan, saute the garlic with the olive oil in medium heat. The reason for this is to infuse the olive oil with garlic flavor. Remove the garlic and then add in 4 tablespoons of butter and lower the heat. Add in the chicken bouillon powder, garlic powder, oyster sauce and blend well. Set aside to let it cool.

Once the garlic mixture is cool and the noodles are at room temperature, pour the garlic mixture over the noodles and toss them together to blend well. Add in the grated Parmesan cheese and toss well.

Clean and break the crab into small clusters. Heat up the butter in a wok (between medium to low heat) and saute the garlic until aromatic, but not brown. Add in the black peppers, chicken bouillon powder, red pepper flakes and then add the crab and stir well. Add in the sugar and cook the crab until half done.

Dish out and bake it in the oven at 350 degree F for 25-30 minutes. Serve hot with garlic noodles.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté shrimp, turning over once, until just cooked through, about 2 minutes, and transfer with a slotted spoon to a large bowl. Add garlic to oil remaining in skillet along with red pepper flakes, wine, salt, and pepper and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, 1 minute. Add butter to skillet, stirring until melted, and add crab and simmer for 10 minutes flipping the crab once then remove clusters and stir in shrimp. Remove skillet from heat.

Cook pasta in boiling water until just tender, about 3 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta-cooking water, then drain pasta in a colander. Toss pasta well with shrimp mixture and parsley in large bowl, adding some of reserved cooking water if necessary to keep moist. Serve immediately with crab cluster. Bon Appetit!

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I’m participating in a internet version of the cooking show “Chopped” in a food group I am involved in. The first round mystery ingredients were shrimp, raisins, beer, and Funyons. A soup, salad or an appetizer had to be made. How do you like my submission for round one?

First crush the 5 large Funyons in a mortor & pestle or whatever your method is. Add the chili powder and paprika and mix well. Then sprinkle shrimp with the mixture and discard any extra.
Heat oil on medium high heat and brown shrimp on both sides until golden and set aside.
Bring the ale to boil, then put the raisins in, remove from heat and let it sit for 5 – 10 minutes in the ale, then drain (reserving 1 tbsp of ale) and set on paper towel.
Chop the onions and gently brown with butter in a pan. Add the pumpkin with onions to the pan.
Add the salt, sugar, nutmeg, pepper and raisins and the one tbsp of reserved ale. Slowly add chicken broth and cream; heat thoroughly, but do not boil.Serve and garnish with 3-4 shrimp, broken Funyons, pinch of chili pepper and sprig of dill. Enjoy!

1 large (15-ounce) mango, cut into 1/4-inch cubes (or use 2 small mangoes)

1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves.

1. In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and cayenne. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cashews and sugar-spice mixture to the skillet; cook, stirring, until nuts are golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape nuts into a bowl.

2. Wipe out skillet. Season shrimp all over with salt and remaining 1 teaspoon pepper. Return skillet to medium-high heat and add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil. Add scallions and half of the cilantro; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add garlic and Shrimp. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shrimp is done and cooked through, about 6-8 minutes. Pour in the rum and cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until the rum evaporates, about 1 minute.

3. Remove pan from heat and add nuts, mango, vinegar and other half of the cilantro leaves. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary.

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One day while in the market I picked up some wild caught Monkfish, often referred to as “The poor man’s lobster” because the taste and texture are very similar to that of the popular shellfish. It is also referred to as Goosefish, Anglerfish, and Ankoh, but I just call it delicious! The warty brown skin of the Monkfish hides tasty fillets of white meat, and Monkfish liver is considered a delicacy in Japan and Europe and is often used in sushi. I live about 6 blocks from the Atlantic ocean in south Brooklyn, and I often catch another fish similar in appearance to Monkfish called “Sea Robin”.

Sea Robin

Now while I can’t compare these two fish in taste, they look almost identical to each other, except the Monkfish is bigger in size.They both have a hard plate for a head, and wide strong jaws. The only edible portions of the Monkfish are its muscular tail and its liver. The tail meat of the Monkfish is delicious, dense, sweet, and very similar to lobster.

Pan Roasted Monkfish with Scallop Mushroom Sauce

This bottom-dwelling fish was at one time discarded the same way that Sea Robins are discarded when caught accidentally. As other fish populations declined due to overfishing, monkfish began to be marketed as gourmet fare, costing as much as lobster and sometimes even more! I wonder if eventually this will happen with Sea Robins? Local fisherman tell me all the time that Sea Robins are the new “Chicken of the Sea”.

Some years ago when sea robins were plentiful in NYC.

After tasting sea robin, I must say it is not bad, but it is not as tasty as monkfish. I have seen monkfish as high as $22 lb, but my local market had it on discount $14 lb so I decided to grab up a couple of filets. I also picked up some bay scallops, heavy cream, and portabello mushrooms for a rich sauce, and enjoyed a simply splendid dish. Since then, it has become one of my go-to dishes for clients and dinner parties for friends, I have also tried it multiple ways. So if I were you I would get to my local market and find some monkfish ASAP. Bon Appetit!

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Seafood … just the thought of it makes my mouth water. I love all kinds of fish and seafood, except scallops which I will only eat if I prepare them myself, weird but true. But I am also an adventurous person, and one of the things I love to do is go fishing. Whether it’s fishing on the boat or offshore it’s just relaxing, period. And since there are so many different types of fish to choose from, it could only mean a ton of recipe choices. While in the fish section of the market I noticed a fish called Artic char. What caught my eye was the beautiful color of the fish, and the fact that it resembled salmon. So I decided to learn a little more about this fish before it ended up on the menu.

Like salmon, Arctic char is packed with heart-healthy oils and melt-in -your-mouth flavor, and it is similar in taste to its cousins trout and salmon. It is both a freshwater and saltwater fish and it belongs to the salmon family. But I was thinking, “Why is it so damn expensive?” ($21 a Lb). Well according to Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Artic char is becoming a fish of choice in restaurants as of late. So with that said, I felt I had to try this fish that resembles salmon so much. I must say it was very flavorful but mild, and just as advertised it was a cross between trout and salmon. To accompany the delicate flavor I made a simple lemon and caper butter sauce, and served it all up with parmesan roasted asparagus and a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Overall, it was delicious and I enjoyed it. I will most likely add Artic char to my seafood diet in the near future. Bon Appetit!

Wonderfully colored fish

For the fish:

4 Artic char filets(6 ounces each)

1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Set a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. When a drop of water skitters on the surface, after about 3 minutes, add the oil. Tilt the pan to coat the bottom evenly and heat until the oil is almost smoking, about 30 seconds. Season the char with the salt and pepper and add to the skillet, skin side up. Cook until golden brown on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Turn the char, lower the heat to moderate and sear until just cooked, 3 to 4 minutes longer.

After Hurricane Irene passed through NYC, I’ve been thinking about hurricanes. A few years ago we took a trip to New Orleans. It was my first trip down there and I thought all we’d do was drink, drink, drink. But as soon as we arrived I realized how great the cuisine was in this “party” city. We visited two years after Katrina and the city was still reeling from the disaster. We purchased a self-guided Katrina tour CD from the car rental location (proceeds donated to rebuilding the city) and drove through the still devastated areas of the lower 9th ward. It was an overwhelming and humbling experience as the damage was still extensive and the infrastructure of the city was not yet very functional. We even grabbed a picture of Fats Domino’s house, which is in the lower 9th ward from which he was evacuated from after the storm, and we drove up to those famous breached levees. But up on Bourbon Street, which was not damaged too badly by the storm, it was a different city. Live music and food was abundant; you had the feeling that this city was on the verge of rebounding from the storm. We visited the Praline Connection off Bourbon Street (542 Frenchmen St) where I had some alligator sausage to die for, and my girlfriend, Emily, had the jambalaya, which was deelish as well. Acme Oyster House yielded fresh oysters but no clams, which we were told were more expensive because they had to be imported from up north. It didn’t matter, though, because the cajun/creole cuisine was top notch. I was thinking about that trip when I decided to cook this dish, a cajun-spiced riff on pasta, shrimp and steak. Recipe Coming Soon

1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; add shrimp, tossing to coat. 2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp mixture to pan; cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from heat. 3. Heat tortillas in microwave according to package directions. Place 2 tortillas on each plate; arrange 4-5 shrimp on each tortilla. Top each tortilla with 1/4 cup lettuce,diced tomato,a couple of jalepeno slices, 2 avocado slices, and 1 1/2 tablespoons lime/cilatro cream sauce. Garnish with lobster claws (optional)

Lime/Cilantro sour cream sauce:

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup mayonnaise

3 TBS minced fresh cilantro

Grated zest of 1 lime

1 TBS fresh lime juice

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Refrigerate up to 4 hours until ready to use.

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What can I say about French food? It exudes romance and sexiness. But when most of us hear the name of a french dish we think it’s difficult to cook. First of all, I love shrimp, and I love Cognac so the thought of combining the two had me very excited. Then I threw in the creamy Beurre Blanc sauce in all of its buttery goodness, and i had myself a very good dish. When i was gathering up the ingredients for this dish first thing i thought was “wow, a lot of butter is need for this dish!” But once I added it to the sauteed shallots, cream, white wine and lemon juice and with the constant whisking it became a yummy creamy sauce. When i poured it over the shrimp, it was pure heaven. I’m looking forward to experimenting with more french dishes in the future and bring them to you for you to try at home. Bon Appetit!

You will need:

1 shallot, chopped

½ cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon heavy cream

12 tablespoons cold butter(unsalted is optional)

1/16 teaspoon white pepper

5 tablespoons butter

¾ lb medium shrimp, rinsed and deveined

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons Cognac

To make Beurre Blanc:

Simmer the shallots, white wine, and lemon juice in a small saucepan over low-medium heat for 5-10 minutes, until the mixture is reduced to about 1 tablespoon. Add the cream and bring to just under a simmer. When the first few bubbles rise, turn the heat down very slightly and add the 12 tablespoons of butter, one tablespoon at a time, whisking constantly. Be sure to allow one pat of butter to melt completely before adding the next. Once the butter is fully incorporated, season the beurre blanc sauce with white pepper and set aside.

In a skillet over high heat, melt 5 tablespoons of butter, and then sauté shrimp, turning a few times until cooked through – about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and season the shrimp with salt. Carefully add the Cognac(it may flame) and stir thoroughly. Spoon the warm beurre blanc sauce over the hot shrimp and serve with side dish of your choice. Enjoy!

1 can of prepared octopus drained I used fresh octopus, but canned is easier and faster for most home cooks (octopus recipe coming soon)

1/2 onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup bourbon whiskey

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 tablespoon salt

1 cup ketchup

2 tbsp tomato paste

1/3 cup cider vinegar

1-2 tablespoons liquid smoke flavoring

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, or to taste

Directions:

In a large skillet over medium heat, combine the onion, garlic, and whiskey. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Mix in the ground black pepper, salt, ketchup, tomato paste, vinegar, liquid smoke, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and hot pepper sauce. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low, and add shrimp and simmer for 10 minutes, then add canned octopus and simmer 10-15 additional minutes. Remove shrimp and octopus with a slotted spoon and arrange 0n plates. Run sauce through a strainer if you prefer a smoother sauce and drizzle over the shrimp and octopus and garnish with lemon slices. Serve with a refreshing salad or side dish of your choice. Bon Appetit!